The Honeyrunners are a Northern take on Southern Americana – hot-blooded and rife with the poetry of heartache. Their energy is contagious on stage and on record; as are their stories. Their music suits fans of bands like The Lumineers, Bahamas, Alabama Shakes, Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Leon Bridges, to name a few influences.
Recently the band announced the worldwide debut of their first full-length album, Everything Is On Fire (Gypsy Soul Records/Warner Music Canada/FUGA/Proper Music Group), which is slated for release Friday, October 22 on streaming platforms and limited edition vinyl. The band’s new 9-song body of work aims to disrobe our culture of apathy – a sentiment that everything is always on fire, with nothing to do but watch.
The record was born of late nights and long drives; a tapestry of rhythm and melody, underpinned by desperate optimism and a stark reminder of why your presence is needed in times like these. The chorus of the title track sums up the band’s approach to art, “Let it burn. It’s the ashes that I admire.”
Written and composed by Dan Dwoskin and Guillermo Subauste (aka, The Honeyrunners), Everything Is On Fire is a response to a public outpouring of anxiety and depression. After a year and a half of challenges in a broken music industry, the two musicians are well-acquainted with these feelings (as are most artists, to some extent), yet they are also acquainted with self-reinvention (as are most artists). The process was cathartic – writing and recording songs for people who need to feel they are not alone in this heaviness, surrounded by a world full of apathy. Guillermo’s weighs in, “We anchored tracks with a New Orleans sensibility, using pocket rhythms, countless styles of keys, and punchy horns to bring the songs to life. The cherry is a quilt of guitar hooks, a choir’s worth of harmonies, and a soulful lead vocal by Dan.” It feels like home. There is no coincidence that the band toured to New Orleans in January 2020, showcasing at Folk Alliance International, with the entire industry coming to a standstill shortly after.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of “Mixtape,” one of the standout tracks on the new album. With a smooth, danceable beat and infectious vocals, the song balances anthemic pop with indie rock cool. You can hear traces of dance-oriented blog rockers of the early 2000s laced throughout the band’s sound along with a glam rock edge. There is a frenetic energy to the song that also feels sharply produced, making it ripe for radio play. If this song is any indication, we are in for a treat with the band’s new album and it won’t be a surprise if they catch on with larger audiences well beyond Canada.
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